Chapter 19
They set out at dawn the following morning.
The previous afternoon, Nathaniel had observed two pairs of golden eagles circling overhead.
One appeared to have a nest on the western edge of the loch, and the other to the southeast. He and Kit had noted the approximate location of the nests.
Today, their mission would be to locate them and identify a vantage point for closer observation.
Nat made a point to glance over his shoulder periodically to see how Kit was faring.
Although he hadn’t uttered a word of complaint yesterday, he sensed that the series of hikes from the ocean to the loch had pushed the young man to his limits.
Nathaniel was fortunate in that he had grown up with three brothers.
Even though he was bookish by nature, the hours he had spent at a desk had been balanced by plenty of rough and tumble adventures.
It seemed that Kit’s upbringing had been more sedentary, which wasn’t uncommon for scholars.
But it did mean that the coming weeks would be a challenge.
Kit seemed determined to rise to the occasion. Nat hoped he would succeed.
They picked their way up the face of the westward mountain.
The terrain grew rockier as they ascended until it was naught but a cliff.
They were able to identify the location of the nest easily enough.
What proved more elusive was a vantage point from which to observe it.
The eagles had chosen a spot high on the cliff face.
Nathaniel and Kit spent the better part of the morning circling around the back side of the mountain to see if they could find a spot that overlooked the nest. Unfortunately, their view was blocked by an outcropping of rock.
Perhaps an experienced alpinist could have lowered himself down for a quick peek, but Nathaniel didn’t fancy his chances in the gusting winds of Lewis.
Besides, their goal was to find an unobtrusive spot from which they might watch the eagles for weeks.
It wasn’t as if they could make sustained observations while dangling from a rope.
They descended, ate a quick lunch, and then set out for the southeastern peak.
Again, the eagles had built their nest into the cliff face.
But this time, they had a bit of luck. The cliff was curved into a C-shape, and the nest was positioned at one end.
By skirting around the back, they could access a point from the facing side of the cliff from which it was possible to look down into the nest!
Nathaniel pulled the spyglasses from his pack and handed one to Kit. The female was not only in the nest but remained rooted in its center. It was too soon to be sure, but her territorial behavior suggested the possibility of eggs.
The male swooped in, landing gracefully beside his mate. He passed her a small fish he had taken from the loch, then turned his hazel-eyed gaze toward the pair of humans disturbing his repose. Nathaniel held his breath, wondering if their presence would be tolerated.
After a beat, the male hopped toward the edge of the nest, then launched himself into the air, gliding toward the loch below.
Nat exhaled. He glanced at Kit and found that his sketchpad was already open.
He was alternating between peering through his spyglass and sketching frantically, even as the edges of his paper were pulled this way and that by the unrelenting Hebridean wind.
Nat suddenly became conscious that they were sitting near a precipitous drop with the wind gusting in their faces.
He leaned close to Kit’s ear. “Is this all right?”
Kit blinked, looking startled. “All right? We have a perfect view right into a pair of golden eagles’ nest! And, based on the female’s behavior, it seems likely that there are eggs.” He grinned, his blue eyes shining with excitement. “Things are a far sight better than all right!”
Nat grinned back. “You don’t mind sitting so close to the cliff face, then?”
Kit glanced down and shuddered. His smile turned rueful. “If this is where we can see into the nest, then this is where we’re sitting. I’m sure I’ll grow used to it.”
Nathaniel clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man.”
Kit resumed his sketching. Pulling a notebook out of his rucksack, Nathaniel settled in to observe the eagles.
They were right about the eggs.
Although the female eagle showed a preference for sitting on the eggs herself, she would occasionally allow her mate to take a turn, presumably so she could stretch her wings.
From what Kate could observe, there wasn’t a need for her to seek food because the male eagle was a solicitous partner, bringing her fish and, occasionally, small mammals throughout the day.
When they switched places on the third day, Nathaniel’s gaze was fixed on the nest through his spyglass. Suddenly, he seized Kate’s thigh and squeezed. “Three eggs!” he hissed, the excitement palpable in his voice.
“You’re certain?” Kate asked eagerly.
Lowering the spyglass, he turned to her, eyes bright. “At least three. What if—”
“They hatch?” Kate asked, completing his sentence.
He nodded, biting his lip.
She didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. They both knew that to observe such a thing up close, to provide detailed documentation of such a miraculous process, would be the making of both of their careers.
She also knew that their time observing the eagles would be relatively short, and that they might have to leave before the chicks emerged.
Well, it was outside of their control, which meant that there was no use worrying about it.
Although Kate would have been thrilled to sketch the eaglets, she was having a wonderful time regardless. The golden eagles were perhaps the most magnificent creatures she had ever had the privilege of drawing, and she could have happily sketched the breeding pair for months without growing bored.
She sketched the eagles together in the nest. She sketched them in flight. She sketched them launching themselves from the cliffs, and she sketched them skimming over the surface of the loch.
On the tenth day of their observations, the female seemed agitated.
She had moved off the eggs and was standing on the rim of the nest, shifting anxiously from foot to foot.
The male made frequent trips to the loch and brought back several fish, but she seemed distracted and showed no interest in his offerings.
Kate and Nathaniel waited with bated breath, wondering if a chick was about to emerge, but there were no major changes.
At last, when they knew they had to depart if they did not wish to make their descent in total darkness, they set out for the shieling.
They rushed back at the break of dawn, but there were no eaglets in the nest. The female was still pacing its rim. Kate and Nathaniel settled in to wait.
The eagles were usually silent, and when they did make sounds, they were not the majestic calls Kate had imagined, but rather a feeble, high-pitched set of squawks and squeaks. When the female began emitting these, Kate and Nathaniel exchanged a pregnant look.
The male rushed back and perched anxiously on the edge of the nest. Suddenly, one of the speckled eggs visibly trembled, then split. Kate watched in awe as a fluffy, white chick emerged from the shell.
Without thinking, Kate reached out, took Nathaniel’s hand, and squeezed. She immediately realized that this was probably an odd gesture for a man to make toward another man.
She was trying to figure out a way to subtly withdraw her hand when Nathaniel turned to her, a soft smile on his handsome face. “Isn’t it incredible?” he whispered, then squeezed her hand in return.
Kate could feel her cheeks burning, but she returned Nathaniel’s smile. It felt so natural, sitting here, holding his hand, and she admired the fact that he hadn’t shrunk from the moment of affection, even if it was with another man.
They sat admiring the eaglet in companionable silence for a moment. Then, Nathaniel pressed Kate’s hand a final time and released it. He shot her a lopsided grin as he flipped open his notebook. “I know you want your hands free to sketch.”
Kate bit back a smile. Of course, it was true. Flipping to a fresh sheet of her sketchpad, she settled in to draw the newest member of the eagle family.